U.S.: States balk at the high price of Medicaid work requirements amid budget crunch
Politico reports:
The Trump administration is counting on Medicaid work requirements to save the government billions of dollars. But well before the rules formally go into effect Jan. 1, they’re costing already-strapped states millions or tens of millions to implement.
State health departments are having to funnel resources into hiring more staff, paying for overtime, and upgrading their aging technology systems so they can determine which low-income residents are working, volunteering, caregiving, or studying enough hours to keep their Medicaid coverage. They are also building new systems to determine who is sick enough to qualify for an exemption.
Democratic state officials, most of whom oppose the policy, say it’s an unfair burden at a time when many states can least afford it – amid drops in tax revenue and federal funding as a result of other policies in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The work requirements in that party-line law apply only to states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and only to people enrolled in that expansion, who typically make more money than those covered by traditional Medicaid.